Ski resort operators and professional organizations have once again called on the government to make a clear statement when and under what conditions they will allow the operation of winter resorts. In the past so week remains to be decided, later opening is meaningless at most ski resorts. Operators are ready to operate under stricter conditions than those set by, for example, Austria. Representatives of ski resorts and professional organizations stated this in a letter sent today to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (YES) and the government.
According to their operators, ski resorts are not in themselves risky from an epidemiological point of view, according to them, no data show this. They point out that the resorts operate in Austria, and from the following weekend the lifts will also start in Poland and in many areas of Italy.
There is a period of spring holidays in the Czech Republic and people go to the mountains even with closed slopes. “Due to the long-term closure of other leisure opportunities and growing frustration in households, this trend is unlikely to decrease. Mobility therefore exists and, conversely, without functioning ski resorts.
According to professional organizations, operators can actively enforce the set measures in cooperation with the state. This would reduce the health risks resulting from the current chaotic situation in the mountains. “We ask the Minister (Health Jan) Blatný for a meeting in which we would like to justify our position and could continue to consult on measures in the areas for ensuring the health of our citizens,” they added.
The time of suitable conditions for the operation of ski resorts is shortening, but for many resorts the current situation is fatal from an economic point of view. According to the Association of Mountain Resorts, the losses of domestic ski resorts at the end of January amount to CZK 1.5 to two billion.
There are 450 ski resorts in the Czech Republic, bringing about CZK 13 billion a year to the state budget.
Source: CTK
